Help with tank disaster

[DonW]

You should not get a cycle at all as long as you move quick and do not reuse the sand. Since you only have one bag of new throw it in and add more later when you get more. A cycle could kill everything you have. You do not need to "seed" the new, your LR will do that just fine.

Don

 

[Holygral]

Update

OK, I did the 2 hour round trip (thanks to all of the advise from all of my buds here) to my nearest LFS and picked up 60# of new sand. I mixed in about 4 cups of the old. The tank is about 3/4 full with 2 canister filters and my skimmer running to try and clear things up so I can get the rest of the LR in. Most of the corals and fish are in a round tub with plenty of flow and LR and they are actually all out including my GBT. I am lucky in the fact that the house temps are 77-79 so the room temps are fine for the critters. I keep checking the nitrates in the tub of critters and it is still 0. The ph needs to be buffered a little. Making rodi water right now and will mix that up later tonight. Tomorrow I will adjust the temps, Salinity and ph and transfer everything back. The fuge will not be up and running for a few days do to having to replumb some of it since the 75 is shorter than the 56 was. I am sure my yellow tang will love the elbow room even though he is still a juvi. I thought that it was going to be a big job to set up a new tank the same size, but boy jumping up a size is one hell of alot of work. I am sure it will all be worth it when everything settles down.

 

[Scooterman]

Well glad they helped you on the leaky tank, so some good of all this will happen when all said & done. Hope the new tanks works out better & this time last longer, which It should last a real long time. It is good that you replaced the sand, actually seeding it is really un-necessary & IMO better to not, it will give it a longer life.

 

[Holygral]

Some say to seed and some say no need, I guess we absorb all we can and make and live by our decisions, thanks for your support...........now can you help lug water from the basement before I fall asleep

 

[mmkeeper]

If you have some critters that you like in your old sand bed seed the new one. Only take it from the top half of the old bed.